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Welcome to the Home Page for ‘Crossing the Thames Estuary’ published by Imray.

‘Crossing the Thames Estuary’ is written to help plan and time passages across the Thames Estuary whether from or to Ramsgate, the Kent, Essex or Suffolk Rivers.

The Thames Estuary is amongst the more complex waters for yachtsmen and women to navigate in the UK. But despite the sandbanks, narrow channels, swatchways, tides and shipping, it can and is crossed easily, in comfort and with interest. None of your featureless channel waters here!

The book contains 32 suggested routes between landfall waypoints off Ramsgate and the major rivers of Kent, Essex and Suffolk.

These routes are linked to passage planning tables that enable you to quickly plan your passage in a fraction of the time you will take using tidal diagrams, charts and drawing vectors.

You will be able to pick your departure time to:

Ensure sufficient water through swatchways or over banks;

Make the best use of the tide (often a compromise) throughout the passage;

Estimate your arrival time at the chosen landfall waypoint. This permits you to adjust your departure time to meet your requirements – arrival in daylight, at the right time to cross a bar or to carry sufficient flood tide to the head of a river.

Tables are provided for average speeds between 3 and 7 knots.

Whilst not written in partnership, this book complements ‘East Coast Pilot’ by Colin Jarman, Garth Cooper and Dick Holness also published by Imray. (see under Links)

To buy a copy of the book, please click on the Imray icon to go to their website

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